The data and reporting that inform our work.
A working reference to the 18 primary sources we rely on — the federal statistics, research institutions, and industry reporting, gathered in one place.
How to use this
Primary sources, not a substitute for them.
Applied America grounds its work in authoritative, public data. This page names the 18 institutions that produce it — the statistical agencies, research bodies, and industry reporting we consult when assessing a region, a sector, or a project.
It is a reference, not a feed: every link below goes to the institution that published the data, and nothing on this page reproduces what those institutions wrote.
What we make of them. The weekly Economic Development Brief draws on a separate register of government and statehouse feeds and groups what moved: the current edition covers the seven days to October 26, 2026 — 25 stories drawn from 101 of those feeds, each one a headline, a line of context and a link back to the publisher. No edition appears until it is approved on the record; this one was approved by Economic Development Team — CEFA. Read the current edition.
Where the numbers come from
Federal data
The primary statistical agencies whose data underpins every project assessment.
Who does the analysis
Research & analysis
Institutions producing the analysis that frames national and regional development.
Where it is reported
Industry news
Where site selection, investment, and development activity is reported.
How projects reach capital
Funding & programs
Federal programs and portals through which projects reach public capital.
Have data, a report, or a source we should track?
If your institution publishes economic-development data or research relevant to American productive capacity, tell us — and if you have a project, bring it forward.